Lazer Brody, of Yeshiva Schut Shel Chesed (A Breslever school in Jerusalem), writes the following:
http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/2010/07/this-weeks-solar-eclipse.htmlJuly 11, 2010: Astronomer Constantinos Emmanouilidis, one of a team of astronomers who studied the total solar eclipse, took this magnificent photo from his vantage point in Mangaia in the Cook Islands. Image courtesy of
www.space.com via Foxnews.com.
A total solar eclipse arced across the southern Pacific Ocean Sunday, the eve of our new moon of Av and right at the start of the infamous "Nine Days" between Rosh Chodesh Av and Tisha B'Av, blotting out the sun and offering stunning views to skywatchers.
The Gemara mentions solar eclipses in the second chapter of tractate Succa, page 29a: "Our sages teach four causes of solar eclipses: A chief rabbi that dies who wasn't properly eulogized; an engaged girl who screamed in the city and wasn't saved (i.e., raped); sodomy (i.e., homosexuality); two brothers from the same family whose blood is spilled. The Gemara adds that when the Jewish people do Hashem's will, they have nothing to fear from natural phenomena.
This solar eclipse should make us tremble in our boots. Is it oddly coincidental that another Gay parade is planned for Jerusalem later this month? If that's not enough, Rabbi Mordechai Eliahu of blessed and saintly memory, former Chief Rabbi of Israel and one of this generation's greatest Torah scholars and Kabbalists, passed a way just recently. Timely, or what? Who could be so blind to shrug shoulders and plead "happenstance"?
The anti-emuna magpies will all chime in that the solar eclipses arrive at regular, expected intervals. Our sages knew that full well, says the Aruch L'Ner. And still, writes the Ramban, such natural phenomena are messages from Above.
Hashem is telling us once more that we had better get our act together.
Our job as Jews is to bring light into our world - "light unto the nations" - and especially to spread the light of emuna. The light of emuna guards mankind from the unspeakable social ills mentioned in the above-cited Gemara tractate. Hashem is showing us - by way of the solar eclipse and what it stands for - how dark the world is without the light of emuna. Emuna is the only chance of keeping this world from sinking into total darkness. Let's strengthen ourselves in emuna and help spread emuna; that way we'll keep the world from exploding altogether, and we'll the spiritual darkness from overcoming the light.
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